Even if only for its scenic beauty, Kaikoura would be one of my favorite places in New Zealand. Luckily, it also is a nice little town with friendly locals, interesting shops and excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities.
I’m just a little water obsessed recently. Look at those blues!
It was still chilly there, so we buttoned up while exploring the beach and enjoying the views.
On our way north to Picton the next day, we stopped by a seal colony. There are several such colonies on the South Island, and September/October is typically when the pups are weaned and start heading out to sea. These are New Zealand fur seals, also called Kekeno.
Count the seals: How many do you see?
If you’re ever in Kaikoura, here are a few recommendations:
- Kaikoura is well regarded for seafood. We particularly enjoyed fish and chips at Cooper’s Catch, where we learned that we prefer elephant fish over the more common hoki and tarakihi.
- We had a yummy and surprisingly affordable dinner at The Whaler – 14.50 NZD (about 11 USD) for Porterhouse, mashed potatoes and salad.
- Southern Paua Ltd does paua carving on site and has some of the best prices on polished paua shells that we’ve found.
- Sealside Gallery has a great selection of New Zealand art, and is owned & operated by local artists.
Cheers,
Kate - You’re right, there were 5. Wasn’t sure the one partially underwater was clear. We were about 50 feet away.
Skmrorer - How beautiful! I counted 5 – were there more. How close were you when you took the picture? Look forward to Skyping.